DENVER -- Marijuana is not just about the smoke. Legal pot also finds its way into brownies, candy and other snacks. To protect children and adults from ingesting these products unintentionally, Colorado has taken steps to distinguish edible marijuana products from its lookalikes, reported the Associated Press.
As one of four states where recreational marijuana is legal, Colorado has added a requirement that edible marijuana products come with a diamond-shaped stamp and the letters THC on the packaging and directly on the candy or brownies.
The rule takes effect Saturday, Oct. 1, and was added after complaints that the treats looked too much like their non-intoxicating counterparts. It is the first such requirement to reference the psychoactive ingredients in marijuana in any state where it is legal.
Colorado’s “universal symbol” for foods that contain marijuana is designed to give the treats a distinct look even after they’re out of the package. The stamping requirement comes in addition to labeling and packaging rules that include childproof zippers and lids, along with warnings that the product should be kept away from children and not eaten before driving or while pregnant or nursing.
“We want to ensure that people genuinely know the difference between a Duncan Hines brownie and a marijuana brownie, just by looking at it,” state Rep. Jonathan Singer, a Democrat who sponsored the law, told AP.
There are no numbers in Colorado or any other marijuana state (Alaska, Oregon and Washington) on how many children or adults accidentally eat marijuana, according to the news agency. None of the other legal marijuana states has considered a universal symbol requirement for the products themselves, as opposed to the packaging. Colorado requires that packages of edibles contain the phrase, “Keep out of reach of children.”
Starting next year, the state also will ban any edible marijuana products in the shape of a fruit, animal or human--in addition to existing bans on the use of cartoon characters on packages or other images deemed attractive to kids.
Meanwhile, five states are voting on recreational marijuana in November. They are Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada. At least one Colorado state leader has encouraged other states to defeat the effort. Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said the law approved by voters there has had dire consequences, including increased teen use and more criminal activity.
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